Filling hunger gaps through expansion

Last summer, hundreds of thousands of Hoosier families who qualified for food benefits and reduced-price school meals received a summertime boost: $120 per child monthly for food while schools were closed. Indiana has decided not to participate in the federal summer food service program, “SUN Bucks,” in 2025.

One of the leading indicators for Feeding Team pantry locations is proximity to families living in areas with larger use of free or reduced meals in schools. Gap families – those who have enough to get by unless and until something unexpectedly happens – may or may not be receiving meal assistance for their children at school. Knowing this data, we respond with programming to fill this new hunger gap in our communities.

We are thrilled to announce that after a few years of hiatus from Northern Hamilton County, the Feeding Team is bringing back mobile food pickups and adding office hours food pick-ups to compliment the 77 pantries in service today.

Beginning in June, the Feeding Team and Gleaners food bank will host two mobile food pick-ups monthly, weather permitting:

• The second Saturday of each month, beginning June 14, from 10 a.m. to noon at Hamilton Heights High School, 25802 State Road 19, Arcadia
• The fourth Tuesday of each month, beginning June 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Harbour Shores Church, 8011 E. 216^th, Cicero

These recurring mobile food distributions are designed for neighbors to drive through with volunteers loading food in each neighbor’s vehicle. This is a big expansion to fill existing and upcoming food gaps in our area.

That said, we need help! Each Mobile Food Truck event needs 12 volunteers to assist with organizing and then food distribution into vehicles. If you want to help, please send an email to lisa@feedingteam.org to get details and signup.

Next, during select office hours, beginning in June every other Thursday at the Feeding Team offices, we are launching a small neighborhood drive-through food pick up. As we finalize details, please check our Facebook page for information and how to get involved.

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This month, I heard an all-too-familiar story about a neighbor stopping by one of the pantries only to find it barren.

This time it happened to be in Cicero, where a volunteer was pulling up a cart of food to load the pantry. From about a block away, she could see that a man was at the pantry shopping. As she walked closer his countenance and his eyes looked weary and distraught. This pantry, on this day at this time, was essentially empty. He looked down and discouraged, and he shook his head.

In God’s divine timing, the volunteer arrives as the man gets into his car to pull away. Gingerly, she approaches, pointing to her cart and lets him know that she is about to restock the pantry. Grateful and timidly, they move to the pantry where he selects enough food for a couple of days.

Then, next, just as he’s about to walk away, he turns to the volunteer and says, “You should know I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for these boxes.”

Imagine the moment for a second: the joy of helping a neighbor who can’t make ends meet. Many of us have been there. Many are still there. Many will be there in the future. That is why we exist. It’s not often that we have encounters like this one. It happens more than you’d think, more than we’d like, and while we know that hunger and poverty will never go away, we can make a dent in it. Together we can help feed hungry neighbors here in our communities.

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With over 44,000 food-challenged neighbors in Hamilton County, FeedingTeam.org is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides outdoor 24/7/365 no-questions-asked free food pantries throughout the county.

The pantries exist to meet the food insecurity needs of gap families, neighbors who may not qualify for public assistance and could use a few meals before payday. The pantries serve as many food-challenged neighbors as possible, and our hearts are with those who, like my family, could not always make ends meet.

Thank you for supporting the pantries. We love serving with so many neighbors across Hamilton County. In future columns, we will share more stories about how your generosity served neighbors in times of need. The face of hunger in Hamilton County is not what you may think.

In practical terms, this straightforward way to help neighbors is having real impact on lives, families, and our communities. Thank you. A few meals can change the course of a person’s life. A can of green beans means so much more when you have nothing to feed your kids.

Would you like to get involved? Volunteer opportunities are available. We are evaluating new pantry locations. If you think you have a potential location, please contact us.

Mark and Lisa Hall are the Founders of Feeding Team. They may be reached at lisa@feedingteam.org and mark@feedingteam.org or by calling (317) 832-1123.